miller



' J. R. MILLER.

POST HOLE BORER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. I917. RENEWED MAY 31. I919- '1,316,497. v- Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET M .Z/ l L INVENTOR WITNESSES E km 'J. R. MILLER.

POST HOLE BORER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1911. RENEWED MAY 3|. I919.

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Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

- IINVENTOR WITNESSES V a?) 1 ATTORNEY J. R. MILLER.

POST HOLE BORER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, I917- RENEWED MAY 3!, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jizflizigg WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

UNITED S S A ENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. MILLER, or HARLE MONTANA.

POST-HOLE BORER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

Application filed June-15, 1917, Serial No. 174,967. Renewed May 31, 1919. Serial No. 301,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harlem, in the county of Blaine and State of Montana, have invented new and useful provements in Post-Hole Borers, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in excavating devices, and has particular reference to a machine for boring fence-post holes and the like.

In carrying out this invention, I propose primarily to provide a post-hole borer adapted for convenient operation by one person. Another object is to provide a more eflicient means for rotating, and for raising and lowering the boring tool.

A further intention is to furnish convenient means for transporting the borer from place to place.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts set forth in the accompanying specification and claims, and delineated in the drawlngs, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the borer.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

,Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the shaft and shaft housing.

Fig. at is a sectional side view through the shaft housing and adjacent parts.

Fig. 5 shows a transverse section taken through the shaft and sleeve on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken through the shaft adjacent the universal joint, on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the borer comprises a frame 1, which in the present instance is rectangular 1n form and consists of longitudinal outside members 2, and centrally disposed and spaced apart parallel thereto the longitudinal supporting members 3, for sustaining the mechanism. At either end of the longitudinal members 2, are bolted or otherwise secured thereto, suitable transverse connecting pieces 4: and 5. For transportation, the borer is provided with wheels 6 suitably journaled toward one end of the frame 1, for which purpose a connecting 5 piece 4 may be formed to constitute an axle.

Legs or standards 7, to support the borer in the operatio'nthereof, are positioned at the corners of the frame 1, and may conveniently be socketed thereto for ready removal and replacement in movin the borer. The legs 7 are independently adjustable for length, which I accomplish, in the present instance, by constructing each leg of telescoping tubes 8 and 9; locking means indicated as set screws 10 being provided for securing the legs at a desired length.

Depending intermediately of the ends from the longitudinal supporting members 3 and rigidly secured thereto is a housing 11, and extending downwardly through the housing 11 and properly journaled in a bearing 12 secured therein is the boring shaft 13, terminally provided with a boring tool 14: which may be of any one of several forms well known in the art. In the present instance, the boring tool 14 comprises semi-cylindrical sections 15 and 16 adapted to receive between them material excavated, whereof section 15 is rigidly attached to the shaft 13 and the other section 16 hinged thereto for discharging the'material when desired. Suitable means are provided for locking the sections together in the operation of boring, and the lower end of each section is provided in the usual manner with cutting bits.

-For convenience in discharging excavated 5 To assist the weight of the shaft 13 to force the bits into contact With the earth, a spring means is provided, here shown as a coiled spring 21, embracing the shaft 13 inside sleeve 19, and normally compressed between the boring tool 1 1 and a set screw 22 inserted in a collar 23 bearing against the housing 11.

For rotation of the boring shaft 13 a crank shaft 24 having pedals 25 is suitably journaled toward the lower extremity of the housing 11, and mounted on a seat post 26 affixed to the housing 11 or otherwise secured to the frame 1 is a seat 21 for the operator.

Suitable power transmitting means are provided between the crank shaft and the boring shaft, comprising in the present in stance a sprocket 28 on the crank shaft connected by a chain 29 to a sprocket 30 at one extremity of a counter shaft 31, having at the other extremity a bevel gear 32, and journaled intermediately of the sprocket and gear in the standard 33 aflixed to the longitudinal supporting members 3. The gear 32 meshes With a second gear 34, mounted upon the shaft 13 for rotation thereof, and adapted for relative sliding movementby a key 35 inserted longitudinally of the shaft 13 for engagement with a slot wherewith the gear 3st is formed. The gears and sprockets are proportioned to insure correct speed of the boring shaft, and in this connection I have found it desirable to gear dOWn the boring shaft to a considerable degree, especially in excavating heavy soils.

For raising the boring shaft 13, handholds 36 are conveniently disposed toward the upper extremity, and to supplement the handh-olds I may form the shaft with teeth 37 to constitute a rack, for engagement by a gear 38 mounted on a shaft 89 provided for manual rotation with a crank handle 40. The shaft is suitably journaled in eccentrio bearings a1, adapted to be revolved by a hand lever 2 to engage the gear 38 with the rack when required.

In order that the key 35 and rack may not interfere with rotation or longitudinal movement of the shaft 1-3, a suitably formed annulus 46 slidably disposed on the shaft for rotation therewith is provided in the journal 12.

lVhile I have here shown and described a preferred form of my invention for purposes of illustration, this embodiment is not to be interpreted as in any way limiting the spirit of the invention, such limitation being confined to that indicated by the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a boring tool, the combination with the frame-structure and the boring shaft slidably mounted in and extending from the frame-structure, said shaft having a pair of sections and having a swinging jolnt be tween the sections, of a longitudinally slotted sleeve mounted on said shaft, a spring surrounding said shaft and extending within said sleeve, means on the shaft adapted to be engaged against by one end of the spring, and means bearing against said frame structure and adapted to extend through said slot to engage against the other end of said spring.

2. In a boring tool, the combination with the frame-structure and the boring shaft slidably mounted in and extending from the framestructure, said shaft having a pair of sections and having a swinging joint between the sections, of a longitudinally slotted sleeve mounted on said shaft, a spring surrounding said shaft and extending within said sleeve, a cla-n'iping screw on the sleeve bearing against the shaft and adapted to be engaged against by said spring, a collar loosely surrounding the sleeve and bearing against said frame-structure, and an extensible member projecting inwardly from said collar and adapted to be engaged against by said spring.

3. In a device of the class described, a housing formed in the bottom with an opening, an upper boring-shaft journaled in the housing and extending through said opening, a lower boring-shaft, a universal joint between said upper and lower boring-shafts, a spring normally surrounding said joint and adjacent portions of said shafts and bearing against means on the lower boringshaft, a longitudinally slotted sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft over said spring and extending through said opening, means for clamping said sleeve to one of said shafts in a desired position, a collar bearing against the portions of said housing adjacent said opening, and a member adjustably mounted in said collar, said element normally extending through the slot in the sleeve and bearing against said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix mv signature.

JOHN R. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

